Adjustable die



Nov. 19, 1946.

E. L. RAMSTEDT 2,411,291

ADJUSTABLE DIE Filed May 1, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 y) w Y Patented Nov.19, 1946 Y 2,411,291 ADJUSTABLE Din Emil L. Ramstedt, New Haven, Conn.,assignor to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, acorporation of New Jersey Application May 1, 1945, Serial No. 591,391

6 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to wire rope or cable laying machines, andparticularly to improvements in the guide die for the center strand orcore of a rope or cable to be formed on such machines.

On certain known types of ropes or cables, it is necessary to provide acenter strand or core of substantially triangular cross--sectionalcontour. Heretofore in the guiding of such a triangular strand or core,it has been the practice to employ a guide die having a triangular boreor passage- Way extending therethrough, this bore usually having beenformed by a broaching operation. According to prior practice a separateguide die must be used for guiding each size of strand or core. Thisnecessitates the provision of a great number of dies. Since they areusually made from high-grade tool steel which is hardened and polishedand which must be carefully initially broached, their initial cost isthus very high and they are also costly to maintain.

Among the disadvantages inherent in prior art guide dies are: thetendency of a bent core wire to cause a break; the tendency towardbreakage on the introduction of an oversized core wire; the tendency ofthe die to wear out rapidly; the excessive original cost of producingthe dies; the tendency of worn dies to objectionably shave the wirecore; the tendency of the die to overheat; and the tendency to mutilatethe apexes of the triangular core.

Among the objects of the present invention are to overcome the above andrelated disadvantages of prior practice and to provide a simplified coreguiding die comprising a holder having a plurality of steel ballsmounted therein with provision for radial adjustment, the balls beingadapted to jointly denne a die openingto suit the contour of varioussizes of wires or cores.

The above and related features of the invention will be fully apparentfrom the following detailed disclosure when read in connection with theaccompanying drawings and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a rope or cable laying machinehaving my invention incorporated therein.

Figure 2 is an enlarged axial section through the guide die constitutingthe chief feature of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a transverse section on line III-III of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a triangular wire or core adapted tobe guided by the die of the present invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numerals I8represent disc-like members of a conventional form of a rope or cablelaying flier, this nier being rotatably supported in a manner Well knownto those skilled in the art. The fiier includes a plurality or cradlesI2 mounted by suitable trunnions journaled `in the disc-like members lo.Each cradle l2 carries a reel Ell carrying a supply of rope or cablestrand material l5. The several disc-like members l are secured to anelongated hollow tubular member i8 a portion of which extends through asuitable bearing (not shown) in which it is rotatably mounted. At itsforward end the member i8 carries a known form of lay plate 22 throughwhich the several strand elements l5 converge toward a rotary strandingdie 24 of conventional form.

A countershaft 26 mounted in suitable bearings 28 is driven by asuitable main drive motor (not shown). This shaft drives the hollowmember i8 through conventional transmission elements (not shown), thusproviding a drive for the flier. The rotary stranding die 24 is drivenby a belt 4i? from pulley 42 carried on a stub shaft 44 driven by changegearing 45 from a gear 48 secured to the countershaft 26. A pair ofhaulcii drums 5t and 52 of conventional form are provided to draw therope or cable through the machine, the drum 52 being mounted on a shaftcarrying a gear 54 driven by a pinion 5t secured to a shaft 58 driventhrough reversing gearing 60 and change gears {i2-64 from thecountershaft. The shaft 58 carries a pulley 5E which through belt @ildrives pulley 'lil carried by shaft 'l2 which is connected by gearing 14to a shaft T6 which carries a take-up drum i8 on which is accumulatedthe product of the machine.

Extending longitudinally through the center of the hollow flier memberI8 and rotatable relatively thereto is an elongated hollow shaft 80which is adapted to be driven in a direction opposite to the directionof rotation of the llier.

A cradle (not shown) rotatablyvsupports a. suitable reel which carries asupply of triangular wire or core strand such as indicated at |08. This`core strand passes longitudinally through the hollow center of theshaft 30. As the flier rotates, the plurality of strands I 6 is laidaround the triangular core m8 which is rotated at a speed to suit thelay of the rope or cable being laid up by the machine.

A particular feature of the present invention relates to the simple andimproved inexpensive guide bearing for the triangular core |08 which iseffective to impart a twist to the core in a direction to suit the layof the rope being formed. As shown in Figure 2, the guide die includes aholder portion Il? having a circular passageway ||4 extendingtherethrough. "The holder is provided with an enlargement or collarportion H3 carrying end projections H8 which intert with notches |20formed in the extremity of a sleeve |22 which telescopically engages theend of the bore of the hollow shaft 80, the sleeve |22 being detachablysecured to the shaft by a set screw |24. An internally threaded couplingnut I 26 engages threads formed on the extremity of the sleeve |22 andcoacts with the collar IIB on the holder ||2 to thus detachably securethe .guide die to the sleeve |22. The entrance end of the holder ||2 isflared outwardly, as indicatedrat |28, to facilitate initially threadingthe core through the die. A plurality of radial holes |30 are formed inthe holder ||2, with the axis of each substantially perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis ofthe die passageway H4. The outer portions of theholes |30 are provided with respective screw threads |32, and there is arespectively lhardened steel ball |34 in each hole |35. Balls of varioussizes, such as those of hardened'tool steel forming conventional ballbearings, are satisfactory and economical. Outward movement of the balls|35 is prevented by screw plugs |36 which have socket portions |38formed therein for engagement with 9, suitable adjusting wrench |49.Each plug |36 is preferably formed with a shallow conical depression |42forming a self-centering seat for the ball coacting therewith. In'theembodiment illustrated, the holder ||2 is formed with three radial holes|30 circularly arranged and equidistantly spaced with a respective ballin each hole. The screw plugs |36 constitute means for adjusting theposition of the balls radially within the holes, thus making it possiblefor a given die equipped with three identical balls to be used forguiding different sizes of substantially triangular wire or core such asshown in detail in Figure 4. By simply adjusting the screw plugs |35,the size of the substantially triangular guide opening jointly formed bythe three balls can be easily and quickly varied to suit the size orgauge of triangular core wire used for different sizestof ropes orcables. Thus my improved die overcomes the objections to prior art dies,and in addition, practice demonstrates that a minimum number of dieswill cover the entire range of sizes usually required by manufacturersof attened strand or rope. When the balls |34 become worn after longuse,

they can be inexpensively replaced, and in orderk to make suchVreplacement it will be unnecessary to remove the wire in process fromthe die. Nor

will it be necessary to cut the core wire. And because the balls areuniversally rotatable, wear is distributed and heat due to friction isgreatly minimized or practically eliminated. Thus those 4 skilled in theart will appreciate that the invention is a definite step forward overprior conventional practice.

Having thus described the invention, what I desire to secure by LettersPatent is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A rope or cable laying machine of the character described, comprisinga core guide die including a holder having a plurality of holes whoseaxes converge to a common point, and a respective ball mounted in eachhole with provision for radial adjustment, the said balls jointlydefining an opening adapted to form a guide for different sizes of corestrand.v

2; A rope'or cable laying machine of the character described, comprisinga core guide die including a holder, a, plurality of holes whose axesconverge to a common point, a, respective ball occupying each radialhole formed in the holder, and means for adjusting each ball radially'inthe hole it occupies to suit differentY sizes of core strand.

3. In a machine of the class described, a guide die comprising a holderhaving three equidistant circularly spaced holes therein, a respectiveball in each of said holes, and respective means for adjusting each ballradially within the hole it occupies to suit different sizes ofsubstantially triangular core strand.

4. A guide die comprising a holder "having a longitudinally extendingpassageway, a plurality of radial holes whose axes intersect at a commonpoint on the longitudinal axis of said passageway, a respective ballwithin each of said holes, the several balls jointly deining acurvilinear die opening, and means engaging said balls for adjustine'them radially within said holes to suit different sizes of cores.

5. A guide die comprising a holder having a passageway extendinglongitudinally thereof, three equiangularly spaced holes whose axesintersect the longitudinal axis of said passageway, a respectivehardened steel ball within each hole, the balls thus jointly defining asubstantially Atriangular guide openingl and plugs adjustablerelativelyto the holder and having seats engaging the balls t0 position them forcoaction with different sizes of triangular core strands.

6. A guide die comprising a holder having a passageway extendinglongitudinally thereof, three equiangularly spaced holes whose axesintersect the longitudinal axis of said passageway, a respectivehardened steel ball within each hole, the balls thus jointly defining asubstantially triangular guide opening, the outer portions of each ofsaid holes being formed with internal screw threads, and screw plugsengaging said' threads and having recessed seats engaging said balls,said plugs being adapted to adjust the balls radially to suit diierentsizes of triangular Core strands.

EMIL L. RAMs'rED'r.

